Courthouse problems may trace back to contractor

Published 9:43 pm, Thursday, November 26, 2009

STAMFORD -- In 2002, after a more than four-year delay and $93 million in state money, the new state Superior Courthouse on Hoyt Street in Stamford was completed.

At the time, questions about the work quality of Trataros Construction Inc., the Brooklyn contractor who finished the job after winning a $9.3 million contract, started to arise. Now those questions may have answers in problems with the building that can be traced back to its construction.

For the past few months, construction workers have been taking apart a retaining wall along the sidewalk between the courthouse's garage and main building. Orange cones and sawhorses block off the work. While at first the work seemed cosmetic to a casual observer, judicial and public works officials say it is addressing long-standing problems affecting the offices in the courthouse's basement.

"Early on, there was water leaking into a couple of lower offices," said Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, a spokeswoman for the state Judicial Branch. "Over the years, we've tried various Band-Aid approaches. What we finally did decide is, let's get to the bottom of the problem."

The problem may be insufficient waterproofing of the walkway, which serves as a roof to offices on the lower level of the courthouse. Those offices house judicial marshals and the probation department.

Stearley-Hebert said the work done now is to investigate the extent of the problem and determine solutions.

"After this preliminary work is done, we'll go out to bid on the major repairs," she said.

The investigative work on the waterproofing cost $60,000, Stearley-Hebert said.

Patrick Nolan, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Works, said the current work is also repairing a fire department standpipe connection, which has corroded because of water infiltration. The cost for that repair is $10,000, he said.

Nolan said the problem is being studied but "appears to be a result of the original plaza wall construction."

Problems with the contracting firm in charge of construction became apparent in 2002. At that time, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal threatened legal action because of the delays and cost overruns. The project was originally scheduled to finish in 1997 and cost $51 million. During the delay, the old courthouse was in disrepair and Michael Skakel's high profile murder trial had to be held elsewhere. State judicial employees were ready for a new home.

Blumenthal wrote in a 2000 letter that Trataros failed to disclose information about its disciplinary record in New York.

Blumenthal said no legal action was taken at the time, but that he is considering legal action now because of the new problems.

"We were ready and willing to sue back in 2002, but the Department of Public Works never authorized us to do so," he said. "But we certainly regard litigation as a very active and welcome possibility now."

A New York City School Construction Authority spokesman told the Advocate in 2002 that his agency did not permit Trataros to bid on work. Trataros Construction went out of business near the end of the courthouse job that same year.

In 2004, the trial of Peter Gotti, a former Gambino crime family boss, in New York revealed connections between Trataros and the mafia, according to court documents.

Trataros had taken over for anther contractor on the courthouse job, and Blumenthal told the Advocate some of the delay was caused by this first contractor, E.F. Walsh, and a subcontractor. Public searches for E.F. Walsh yielded no results.

A Trataros spokesman told the Advocate in 2002 it was only responsible for "architectural work," such as stone work and masonry, and said separate firms were responsible for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

On Tuesday, men were affixing what looked like tar sheets for waterproofing over concrete bricks on the wall. Decorative panels had long been taken off.

Employees at the courthouse would not comment on the problems. Whatever the outcome of the current work, perhaps it was predicted in 2002.

"Somebody should study this project," Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy told the Advocate then. "People should learn from their mistakes."

Staff Writer Monica Potts can be reached at monica.potts@scni.com or 203-964-2266.